Falcons expected to hire Mike Smith

ESPN reports that leagues sources have indicated that the Falcons have chosen Jacksonville Jaguars defensive coordinator Mike Smith as the person to become the sixteenth coach in franchise history. Previous reports indicated that the Falcons may have have been willing to wait until after the Super Bowl to make this decision. Smith was considered one of the four finalists for the position as well.

ESPN indicates that the Falcons had narrowed down their choices even further, with Smith coming out on top and Leslie Frazier being considered the second best candidate. Per ESPN, Smith “won over the Falcons with his combination of intelligence, communication and organizational skills, and strong knowledge of personnel. Most important, the team believes Smith to be the most professionally compatible with [Falcons GM Thomas] Dimitroff.”

According to ESPN, the Falcons opted not to wait another week for fear that Steve Spagnuolo would spurn their advances and the new coach’s ability to assemble a staff would be diminished.

The AP reports that the team is currently engaged in contract talks with Smith and that a press conference is possibly set for tomorrow.

UPDATE: The hiring of Smith is now official. The AJC is reporting that Smith is believed to have agreed to a four-year deal worth between $8 and $10 million.